(LAKE FOREST, IL) - Michael McCaskey, who led the Chicago Bears for nearly three decades following the death of his grandfather George Halas, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer, the team said. He was 76. A Yale graduate and the oldest of Ed McCaskey and team matriarch Virginia McCaskey's 11 children, Michael joined the family business in 1983 as president and CEO following the death of Halas, a founding father of the NFL and the franchise. He succeeded Ed McCaskey as chairman in 1999 and remained in that role until brother George McCaskey took over in 2011. The Bears made 12 playoff appearances and captured their lone Super Bowl title during Michael McCaskey's tenure leading the franchise. He was chosen as NFL Executive of the Year by his peers following the 1985 championship season. Though his death was not brought on by the coronavirus, the McCaskeys said they are not able to "gather and grieve together at this time" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also survived by his 97-year-old mother and his grandson, Jackson. McCaskey served on several NFL committees. He was also instrumental in the Bears' moving their headquarters from the original Halas Hall at Lake Forest College to a state-of-the-art home nearby in 1997, giving them an indoor practice facility on their own campus. McCaskey in 2005 co-founded the Bears' charitable foundation, which has granted over $21 million to more than 100 agencies in the Chicago area focusing on education, youth athletics, medical research and health awareness. He was also a member of the NFL's long-range planning committee, expansion committee, stadium committee and finance committee.